1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable exercise device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a simulated pulling or climbing apparatus offering variable resistance and adjustment to accommodate a variety of user types in an easily collapsed and portable design.
2. Description of the Related Art
While no pulling exercise devices are known at present, a broad variety of climbing type devices and machines are known and many include a continuous member for grasping with a user's hands or with through some type of climbing attachment fixed to the continuous member.
One example of a climbing exercise machine operated by a user from an upright position is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,515, by Charnitski. In this invention, a user stands on foot supports and places their hands on handles projecting from a continuous member. The user then alternatingly operates foot-hand pairs along the vertical direction. A linking mechanism associates an operation ration between the foot supports and the handles allowing the user to operate their limbs within normal ranges.
Both U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,360 (Haber et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,206 (Carson, Jr.) provide a continuous rope climbing device stretching a vertically aligned continuous member between two opposing horizontal supports. A standing user, then grasps the continuous member with his hands and/or feet and attempts to climb the continuous member resisted by the force of gravity and internal resistance gearing and mechanisms. In Carson, the user employs a stability strap to ensure the user stays proximate the bottom horizontal support.
In Charnitski, Haber, and Carson, the device user must be capable of coordinated quadrupedal, or four-limb (2 hands and 2 feet) motion, using the feet to support and/or move opposite the hands. These devices also represent the use of a taut continuous member to aid the user in gripping and pulling (it is recognized as easier to climb a taut rope then a slack rope). Another commonality of these devices is the ability to discretionally or mandatorily engage a friction-based ‘resistance’ member that increases the difficulty in climbing.
Other types of conventional climbing exercise machines enable a user to pull a slack (non taut) continuous member, either with or without resistance in a vertical manner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 641,519, E. J. Kerns provides a vertically mounted continuous rope member joined with a rigid coupling and a friction-based means, namely a strap following a smooth drum member. Since this device may be mounted at any height, use by a seated person is possible, unfortunately, as the use is vertically oriented and hence aided by gravity, strengthening of a user's trunk/back is impossible, and the exercise is mainly based in a user's arms.
Johnson, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,574 provides another example of a slack/loose continuous member provided in a vertical arrangement with an included resistance member. In this disclosure a member pulls a rope through a triangular-series of pulleys, originating from a top pulley. A user pulls the rope vertically against the support and the pulled-slack portion of the rope is guided horizontally away from the user through a series of channels to a resistance mechanism.
A final example of a slack/loose continuous member exercise machine is discussed in Hawley, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,258. In this conventional design, the pulling orientation remains vertical for a standing or seated operator, and the pulled/slack rope is directed horizontally away from the user through a series of pulleys. A pulling/resistance device in the machine is provided by a series of adjustable weights and spring members that act to provide tension on the rope and resist a user's pulling action.
Unfortunately, none of the above-described conventional devices allow the pulling direction of the rope to remain perpendicular and vertical to the resistance means during a user's side-to-side operation. In each case, pulling on the rope forces the rope to pull in a tangential manner to the sheave (pulley wheel), risking the user pulling the rope off the pulley or tangling and damaging the rope or the pulley.
Another detriment of the conventional art is that positionable adjustment to accommodate various users' heights is not provided. Since each conventional art design operates in a vertical manner (pulling downward toward the center of gravity) every user must reach straight upward to grasp the rope and must also employ substantially only arms and biceps muscles. Thus, conventional designs do not accommodate users with disabilities limiting arm and shoulder rising above the horizontal relative to the user's torso.
An additional detriment to the conventional designs is that is that the user does not employ substantial torso strength for each pulling/climbing operation, substantially limiting their anaerobic and aerobic effectiveness.